1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to steam leak detection, and, more particularly, to a method and system for mobile detection of steam leaks.
2. Description of the Related Art
District heating systems, such as those used in major metropolitan areas, distribute heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements. One method of distributing the generated heat is via a network of pipes transporting steam. Typically, the steam pipes are subterranean and the steam pipe network may cover a very large geographical area.
One disadvantage of district heating systems using subterranean steam pipes is the potential for undetected steam leaks to occur. A steam leak may lead to a loss in efficiency of the heating system or to a potentially lethal situation such as an explosion. It is therefore critical to identify steam leaks in a steam pipe system as quickly as possible so that they can be immediately repaired. However, current methods of steam leak detection do not provide a highly reliable solution to the problem, particularly where geographically large networks of steam pipes are involved.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to be able to efficiently and reliably detect steam leaks from steam pipe systems, particularly large metropolitan steam pipe systems.